at it penetrates so far inland that they had never heard of any one
who had reached its head. On considering their account, our captain
resolved to proceed no farther at this time, more especially as they
said there was no other passage, meaning to examine in the first place
the northern coast between the Gulf of St Lawrence and this great river,
to see if any other passage could be discovered.

[Footnote 41: The river now called the St Lawrence.--E.]

We accordingly turned back on Wednesday the 18th of August along the
northern coast, which trends from N.E. to S.W. like half of a bow, and
is very high land, yet not so high as the southern coast. Next day we
came to seven high round islands, which we named the _Seven Isles_,
which stretch 3 or 4 leagues out to sea, and are 40 leagues from the
southern shore of the gulf. Over against these, the northern shore
consists of good low grounds full of fine trees, having various
sand-banks almost dry at low water, and reaching two leagues from shore.
At the farther extremity of these low lands, which, continue for ten
leagues, there is a river of fresh water which runs with such rapidity
into the sea that the water is quite fresh a league from its mouth.
Entering this river with our boats, we had about a fathom and half water
at its mouth. In this river we found many _fishes_ resembling horses,
which our savages told us lay all day in the water and went on shore at
night. We set sail at day-break of the 21st, continuing our progress
along the northern coast of the gulf which we traced the whole of that
day to the north-east, and then stood over to the Island of
Assumption[42], being assured that no passage was to be found in that
direction. Returning to the harbour at the Seven Islands, which has 9 or
10 fathoms water, we were detained there by mists and contrary winds
till the 24th, when we stood over to the southern coast, and came to a
harbour about 80 leagues from these islands. This harbour is over
against three flat islands in the middle of the river, between which
islands and the harbour there is a very great river which runs between
high and low lands. For more than three leagues out to sea there are
many dangerous shelves, leaving not quite two fathoms water, so that the
entrance is very dangerous; yet near these shelves the water is from 15
to 20 fathoms deep from shore to shore. All the _northern_[43] coast
runs from N.E. and by N. to S.W. and by S. This haven is but